Friday, April 8, 2011

Friday Finds: Adorable Baby Clothes


Meet the woman behind Gramme's House, a beautiful shop with custom monogram handcrafted apparel and gifts from pecanieregirl located in Opelousas, LA.

She is a mother and grandmother, lives in a small community in south La. called Livonia, La., and works as an inpatient hospice nurse. After learning to sew from her older sister years ago, she sewed quite a bit when her children were younger and has recently started sewing and machine embroidery again... and has found she is hopelessly hooked. I can see why - her designs are so beautiful!

Besides spending time with her famiy, she loves making boutique style dresses, baby items and even have my hand in digital and paper scrapbooking.

I had a chance to catch up with her and ask a few questions. Here are some fun things you will enjoy.

Name one thing that not many people know about you.
I am a pretty open book. I use to say that was one thing I would like to change about myself (Wearing my feelings on my sleeve) but I have come to believe that is who I am and at 51, I probably would change. So there is not too much that my family and friends don't know about me.

How did you get your start on Etsy?
I first discovered Etsy after my first grandchild was born and my daughters would look for cute little things on the internet and discovered Etsy through internet searches. Searches would lead me to making items similiar to our "finds". I later joined Etsy as a buyer, but through convincing by my family, I began selling on Etsy with a couple items.

How did you choose your shop name?
When I decided to start selling on Etsy, I needed a shop name. By then, my oldest granddaughter was beginning to talk and loved to come to Gramme's House. Trying to decide on a name, that title seemed to be the only option for the name of my shop.

What does a typical day look like for you?
I still work as a hospice nurse 1-2 days a week. When I am not working and in my shop, the day starts with beginning to work on orders and starting the process of embroidering. Right now, as I am in the process of opening my shop, my day also involves working on processes to get that rolling. Setting up phone lines, credit card acceptence, pricing items for my shop, etc. I am very lucky in the fact that my grown children are involved (as much as they can be with their own lives and responsibilities) and have been very helpful in getting my shop ready for opening.

From whom did you learn to sew?
I learned how to sew from my older sister. She passed away about 1 1/2 years ago and I miss her dearly. I know that she would be very proud of me and that if she were still alive, would be a huge part of my shop and probably even be a partner with me.

What is the one thing you would want to be remembered for?
I love my children and grandchildren. I hope that they remember me as a Mom that has always been there for them, even though I was not always perfect and made crazy mistakes. As I open my shop, also named Gramme's House, that I can be remembered in the neighborhood as someone that they could always go to for gifts and I was always had a welcoming smile.

Do you have any family traditions that you hope are carried through to future generations?
None of my girls can sew. I hope that before my time is up, that I can teach my girls how to sew and embroider. I write down some of my processes so that when I am gone they can read this and hopefully even if I am not around, they can make some of the same things I made.

If you could be anywhere in the world for one day, where would it be?
I quit my fulltime job last July, which involved alot of traveling from one end of the US to the other. There are a few places I would like to visit in the US, but I am ok with not going to for right now. :-)

Visit her also on her blog and on Facebook.

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